


Your Only Love

by HostJanus



Category: Idlewild Series - Nick Sagan
Genre: Canon Compliant, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, M/M, Secret Relationship, Sneaking Out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-06-12 04:37:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15331938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HostJanus/pseuds/HostJanus
Summary: Isaac and Mercutio's "secret friendship", and how it all went wrong.





	1. Chapter 1

Isaac raised an eyebrow as an obviously drunk Mercutio staggered through the academy’s doors, impressed that someone that inebriated was alert enough to make sure the security guard wasn’t at her post when he snuck back in. As Isaac had sat crouched around the corner from the front desk for the past hour, the woman on duty had walked away only twice; once for coffee, and again for a phone call.

Neither time was Isaac able to bring himself to slip out. It was like standing on a diving board over a frigid swimming pool. When the footsteps receded he would take a deep breath, tell himself to just get it over with, and stoically step forward. And then, he would freeze. He’d stand stock still and mentally berate himself until he had to dash around the corner again.

Whatever the reason this time, her footsteps were already coming back up the adjacent hallway. Mercutio had nearly toddled his drunken way to safety, but he wouldn’t get out of sight in time. Isaac sighed. He’d missed his chance anyway; he might as well. Decided, he seized Merc’s wrist and pulled him along the remaining distance just as the woman turned the corner.

He writhed out of Isaac’s grasp. “The hell do you think you’re doing, you-”

He was cut off as the security woman stared quizzically at the two students, attracted by the noise. The outer hallway was considered out of bounds past ten p.m.

Isaac smiled reflexively. _This is what I get for trying to help._ “Please excuse us, Carrie. We’ve been working on a group project for hours and needed to walk around a little, just to clear our heads. We’ll return promptly.”

Mercutio caught on and nodded.

Her face softened. “You kids work too hard. Consider calling it enough now, alright? It’s past midnight.”

Isaac physically winced from the pang of guilt. This sort of lying was very out of character for him.

“You may be right. What do you think?” he asked his partner-in-crime, immediately regretting prompting him to speak.

“Sounds good to me,” he replied, only slurring a little.

She snorted. “Goodnight, you two. Try to get some sleep. Especially you, Adam. You sound exhausted.”

“Mhm,” Merc said, turning to leave.

Isaac wished her a hasty goodnight and trudged back to his dorm astride the drunken disaster.

* * *

“First name basis, eh, Isaac?” Mercutio drawled lecherously.

“Shut up, please,” he replied cheerfully.

“Hey, what the hell were _you_ doing up past your bedtime?” Merc asked.

“The question you should be asking is why I bothered to help you,” Isaac said in a voice too calm for what he was feeling.

“That’s a good one too.” Merc conceded. “Do you have an answer?”

“Yes,” Isaac said, not elaborating before slipping into his dorm and locking the door behind him.

As he stared at the space where Isaac had been, a theory formed in Mercutio’s mind.


	2. Chapter 2

Maybe two days had passed since the incident, and Isaac’s reprieve was over.

Merc tapped sharply on Isaac’s desk. “Hey, can I borrow a pencil?”

The question was absurd in their virtual classroom, where they wrote with virtual pencils (they could type but writing was better for memorization), summoned via a virtual interface. But that wasn’t the joke, he guessed. The joke was that Isaac would do it for him.

“Sorry, I’m fresh out.”

“Um. No you’re not.” Mercutio gestured expectantly to the one he was currently writing with.

Isaac looked at the pencil as if he hadn’t noticed it, then continued writing. “Huh. What do you know.”

Mercutio scoffed comically. “I’ll remember that next time you forget a pencil.”

“Counting on it,” Isaac droned.

The matter was not closed.

Mercutio leaned back in his chair and heaved an almighty sigh. Then another. Then he rocked on the chair’s back legs, high pitched squeaks resulting. He let it slam back down and started muttering to himself in a stage whisper. “So rude… how am I supposed to learn.. without a...”

Hall chuckled from his desk. “Yeah, what gives?” 

Isaac counted slowly to five in his head. “Mercutio. If I humor you. You will let me work. Yes?”

He nodded solemnly.

With a flick of his wrist, he summoned the interface, tapped in the code, and handed over the goods, eraser-first. 

“That was all I ever asked of you,” Mercutio lilted. Then, comedy bit concluded, he smiled so briefly Isaac thought he might have imagined it. It wasn’t his usual snide smile, though. It was… gentle, even a little guilty. As if Isaac were somehow in on the joke.

Isaac didn’t understand the things that smile made him feel.


End file.
